Size, Shape And Color Of Wine Glass Affect How Much You Pour

In Photo: Glasses of wine are displayed at the Vinitaly wine expo in Verona April 3, 2009.
Reuters

Binge drinking and the weekend hangovers could happen when people in a social setting have problem in assessing alcohol volumes. It a recent study which was published in the journal Substance Use and Misuse it was found that a range of external factors such as the shape, size and even the colour of a wine glass can influence how much alcohol you pour. In the study, participants were asked to pour what they thought was a normal drink in different settings and using different types of glasses.

The results showed how easy was it for the participants to pour 12% more drink to a glass that is wider than a standard sized glass. Holding a glass while pouring instead of keeping it on a table, too could result in pouring more than the desired levels.

"People have trouble assessing volumes," said Laura Smarandescu, co-author and assistant professor of marketing at Iowa State. "They tend to focus more on the vertical than the horizontal measures. That's why people tend to drink less when they drink from a narrow glass, because they think they're drinking more."

Researchers tested six different factors to understand their influence on the amount of drinks poured. Colour was found to be an important factor. When the participants poured white wine into a clear glass, there was a 9 percent increase in the volume than pouring red wine, which stood against the clear glass. However, the influence of a small/large table setting was not found to have any impact on the quantity of drinks poured.

Individuals tend to over pour wine, which is being served in a bottle or measured with a shot glass as it is easy to lose the count of drinks you have had. It is recommended to use white wine glasses to make sure that you pour and drink less. Likewise, you could pour 9-12 percent less to a glass kept on a table or counter instead of holding it in your hand.

Over drinking can have more serious consequences than over eating as it is difficult to understand whether they have crossed the limits when in a party atmosphere unless they are on alert and stick to a proper serving size of alcohol.